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Post by Rob on Sept 15, 2019 15:12:37 GMT -5
It is sad to be approaching the wrap up of another boating season here in the Finger Lakes region. This year, the boatyard where we have arranged for indoor storage, seems to be encouraging us to wait until spring to have hulls cleaned. I have always viewed that as one more thing on the checklist prior to storage and have spent many a November lying in puddles to scrub the tough areas on our non-painted white gelcoat hull. I’d never considered leaving it until Spring, but I thought I’d check in here and see what others do and listen to the pros and cons from other Regal owners. Thanks a lot for any thoughts.
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Post by sgilbert on Sept 15, 2019 18:19:03 GMT -5
Firstly, it'll be much harder in the spring. Lastly, it'll STINK all winter long, especially indoor! Do it & be done with it!
(Hint: Use 1 gl garden sprayer and soak ½ hull with 50/50 muriatic acid & water. WAIT--WAIT longer. Pressure wash off. You'll get 99% without any scrubbing.)
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Post by rlazar on Sept 15, 2019 18:22:24 GMT -5
I would not want my boat sitting all winter with a dirty hull. Every late fall I go over my boat entirely, inside and out. We put it away totally clean. When Spring rolls around I give it another wash and wax which is MUCH easier to do since the boat was put away clean. IF you have indoor storage, I would still celan in the fall and then just a wash in the Spring.
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Post by Rob on Sept 16, 2019 10:48:36 GMT -5
Both great points! Yes, every year for 22 years I’ve thoroughly detailed our boat of the time inside and out before storage, even when storing out of doors like we had to do for a few years. This year, our whole yard is torn up with landscaping and regrading so I may have to go right from lake to storage. I think I’ll detail on the water before we pull her out, then use the acid wash. I was just curious because I’ve always imagined having that slime sit over winter would make spring cleaning much more challenging. Thank you.
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Post by gofast24 on Sept 17, 2019 10:51:43 GMT -5
Do all the cleaning this fall! Agree with all the folks indicating fall cleaning (along with winterizing?) Why let the boat set all winter dirty? To me, that is like leaving all your summer cloths on the laundry room floor dirty and then washing and drying them in spring when it is time to use them again
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Post by Feedingfrenzy on Sept 27, 2019 16:11:41 GMT -5
Both? I do a boat wash before I put it away. In spring we take a full day to detail the interior right out of storage. I go out a few times and then find a day to completely detail the hull (polish/wax). We trailer boat so the hull stays pretty clean.
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Post by gofast24 on Sept 28, 2019 10:56:29 GMT -5
Firstly, it'll be much harder in the spring. Lastly, it'll STINK all winter long, especially indoor! Do it & be done with it! (Hint: Use 1 gl garden sprayer and soak ½ hull with 50/50 muriatic acid & water. WAIT--WAIT longer. Pressure wash off. You'll get 99% without any scrubbing.) Not too sure about the muriatic acid, that is something for concrete before painting concrete? Can imagine what it does to bottom paint (if you have it) and / or any wax on the bottom/hull area? Also would be hard on any bottom thru hulls (brass or plastic) and any anodes on the lower units/prop shafts/propellers, etc?
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Post by Rob on Sept 28, 2019 14:35:59 GMT -5
Thank you for all the great comments. I’m guessing that the storage place I’m using is trying to shift some of the cleaning work into the off season or spring to free up time for winterizing and mechanical work. But, like most of you, I feel locked into putting her away clean. I always cleaned my former Sea Ray myself, but my Regal sits nice and low in its trailer and there are loads of bunks that make it hard for me to reach many areas. So, the last two years, I’ve had the shop hoist it and clean the bottom, which is SO nice. No bottom paint on our boat.
As for the chemicals, I’m no chemist, but I think Mary Kate is muriatic acid. I’ve used that in the past, have used hydrochloride acid, and lots of commercial products like Slimy Grimy which is ethandoic acid. Pros and cons to each I guess depending on what material your trailer is made of and what surface you clean over. I always hose down the driveway first and then back into the wet area to spray.
I recently heard about something called Booyaah cleaner that supposedly is EPA approved for direct release into public waters. Don’t know anything about it. But it’s hard to believe that something super safe could be all that effective!
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Post by gofast24 on Sept 29, 2019 10:00:40 GMT -5
Interesting regarding the Booyaah (google search indicates it is a recipe?). Just FYI, our boat has been on Lake Lanier 19 years since new, had diver clean hull a month ago and he indicated hull was really clean and bottom paint 90% good shape. I have to believe that the water you are on has a lot to due with hull/bottom paint condition from my experience?
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Post by Rob on Sept 29, 2019 13:19:27 GMT -5
Yes, indeed. Prior to our move to the Finger Lakes, we had a smaller bow rider on a smaller lake in Massachusetts, where we lived in the Berkshires. It was super clean and at the end of the season, all we had was a thin greenish yellowish stain on the hull that would wipe right off if we got to it wet.
Here, we moor at one of the marinas toward the southern end of Cayuga lake, and it seems like we are now in the business of manufacturing shag carpet on the bottom of our boat. No exaggeration, within a month of launch, the scum line is well established and if we are away or working and miss a weekend out, we will have what looks like 3 inch long hair growing on the hull.
We love the area, and it is a lot of water with numerous commercial pollutants, salt mines, farms, wineries, etc, but this is the one negative aside from a long winter of course. And the wineries do help winter seem less onerous.
We are starting to dream about retirement and want to check out areas where we can be in the water year round. We see too much of Florida on the news, and prefer lake boating, so it seems that Georgia and South Carolina might be good places to begin our search. Lots to consider.
Thanks for your comments. Have a great extended season; we will be pulling out next weekend.
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Post by gofast24 on Oct 14, 2019 10:32:38 GMT -5
My oldest son (50) has a 38' Sea Ray on Lake Piercy Priest in the Nashville area, has to have boat pulled once or twice a year to clean bottom, if not looses about 5 -6 Knots at WOT, really bad water! Regarding where to move when retired, GA is great. I spent my first 38 years in MKE and moved here with a company relocation in 1986. Interesting, in my County (Gwinnett) when you are over 65 and not a millionaire I dont pay school property taxes anymore ( Property tax went from $2800 / year to less than $900). Also, Georgia Power (our electric utility) provides a $24/month automatic credit on my electric bill monthly. Biggest advantage, I dont have to pull the 4160 out for winter, lake never freezes! We are wet docked year round under cover and can sail all year long (well, in Jan and Feb a little too cold). Also, winter cold enough to burn a few cords of wood in the fireplace and kill most of the bugs outside. Snow almost non existent, if a few inches falls the city shuts down until sun melts it off the roads (GA does plow the interstates though bunt never want to be on any roads under these conditions). Good luck with your winter and hull cleaning etc!
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Post by kdubya on Mar 23, 2020 10:05:11 GMT -5
Fall and Spring. We are in fresh water. We don't get much dirt but we get lime scale that builds up just enough that it takes a mph or two off. Once I vinegar the bottom well and wax it...yes, I know the opinions on bottom waxing, it does keep the lime scale easier to clean off.
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Post by Av8ator1 on Mar 23, 2020 13:37:29 GMT -5
Fall for sure, put it away clean!
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Post by tc33obx on Mar 24, 2020 16:14:05 GMT -5
I always cleaned it before putting the boat away. However, I think this may be the northern way of handling it. Down south where you can boat all year long, my guess is you are probably doing it a couple times a year.
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Post by gofast24 on Mar 25, 2020 10:28:06 GMT -5
No hull cleaning every year for us. Only done once last year after 6 years since purchasing boat, had diver do it at dock($250). Diver took some pictures and said it wasn't bad at all and original 19 year old bottom paint still in good condition as well. Lake Lanier (GA) is for some reason very clean so being in the south still depends on the actual lake your on year round? Guess we are just lucky?
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